The pinning ceremony for Indiana University East nursing graduates begins at 2:30 p.m. with a slide show with the ceremony at 3 p.m. on Friday, May 14. The annual ceremony for nursing students will be held at the Central United Methodist Church, located at 1425 E. Main Street in Richmond.

Graduates will receive their pin to wear for commencement which will be held that night at 6 p.m. at the Richmond High School Tiernan Center. Also at this ceremony, nursing award swill be given to the students and students’ will be recognized. This year, 58 nursing students will graduate with  Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees.

Karen Clark, dean of the School of nursing, said the pinning ceremony is a time honored tradition which signifies a rite of passage into the nursing profession. Each school’s pin represents historical facts about the school or nursing program from which the student graduates. The IU School of Nursing BSN pin is designed to represent the seal of the School of Nursing that was adopted in 1970 at the time of the 150th anniversary of Indiana University.

Anna Klimczewski, of Lawrenceburg, Ind., is the Elizabeth Grossman Award Nominee. Each year Elizabeth Grossman, former Dean of the Indiana University School of Nursing, recognizes a student from each  program who has maintained the highest Nursing Grade Point Average (NGPA) on all IU campuses. These students will be placed in a pool with other IU students with the highest NGPA and the winner will receive a small cash award and an award certificate.  The overall winners will be announced later this month.

The School of Nursing will recognize the students who received outstanding awards during the Honors Convocation held April 15. Klimczewski was the recipient of the Outstanding RN to BSN Student Award; Patricia Rodgers, of Brownsville, Ind., received the Outstanding BSN Student; and Courtney Decker of Eaton, Ohio, received the Chancellor’s Scholar Award.

Kathryn N. Welch, Losantville, Ind., with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree is the first nursing student to graduate through the Honors Program. The Honors Program was implemented in fall 2004, providing an intellectually enriched curriculum for highly motivated students through coursework, independent research, creative work and extracurricular activities.

Keilah Shope, of Richmond, Ind., is an U.S. Army Nurse Corps Spirit of Nursing Award Nominee. The national award given by the U.S. Army Nurse Corps and the National Student Nurses Association promotes excellence through demonstrating a commitment to excellence through community, professional and academic achievements. Shope will address fellow classmates during the ceremony as the student speaker.

During the pinning ceremony, students inducted to the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International, will be recognized. Bachelor of Science in Nursing student inductees to the honor’s society include Sherry Lynn Clontz of Connersville, Ind., Shanna Hildebrand of Richmond, Ind., Julianne Hyser-Cooper of Connersville, Ind., Patricia Rodgers of Rushville, Ind., Obadiah Rodgers of Richmond, Ind., Patricia Rodgers of Brownsville, Ind., and Keilah Shope of Richmond, Ind.

Inductees from the RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree students are Sheri A. Frankenstein of Aurora, Ind., Anna Klimczewski of Lawrenceburg, Ind., Barbara Miller of Sunman, Ind., Anna Post Lewis of Greenville, Ohio, Annette Schuerman of Lawrenceburg, Ind., Monica Sutter of Huber Heights, Ohio, and Bridgette Ziegler of Harrison, Ohio.

The School of Nursing will also recognize those students accepted to the Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities & Colleges. Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree students who received this honor include Sherry Lynn Clontz of Connersville, Ind., Shanna Hildebrand of Richmond, Ind., Patricia Patton of Rushville, Ind., Julianne Hyser-Cooper of Connersville, Ind., William Newton of Fountain City, Ind., Obadiah Rodgers of Richmond, Ind., Patricia Rodgers of Brownsville, Ind., Ericka Michelle Sidwell of Anderson, Ind., Keilah Shope of Richmond, Ind., and Donna Timblin of Greenfield, Ind. RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees students who also received this honor  include Stephanie Beeching of Dayton, Ohio, Sheri A. Frankenstein of Aurora, Ind., Anna Klimczewski of Lawrenceburg, Ind., Anna Post Lewis of Greenville, Ohio, Susan Macy of New Carlisle, Ohio, and Shirley Sprague of New Carlisle, Ohio.

For more information, contact the School of Nursing at (765) 973-8213.